A Change In Me
by Pricat
Summary: A jealous Charming casts a spell on Shrek that makes him ten years old again but his normal self within so he can beat him but the spell has also made Fiona eight years old again. Can they break it before Charming wins? Also Fiona has a secret admirer...
1. Young Again

A Change In Me 

It was morning but Shrek couldn't sleep. He was thinking back to when he was younger than today. Things had seemed easier to him then. Fiona was unaware of his inner pain.

Charming smiled as he watched him in his moment of inner agony. "_This might work! All it will take is a spell. As kids he was weak and never victorious but if my plan works out, I'll win for once!" _he thought as he enchanted his foe as he returned to slumber. Shrek could feel himself change as he slept. Fiona and the babies had gone for the weekend and he was alone.

Artie was busy tending to royal duties and his other friends were busy with their lives. A single tear escaped from his eye as he slept.

Later when he woke up, he felt something wasn't right. His clothes were way too big. "_What's going on here? The last time I checked, ny clothes fit." _He thought as he looked in the mirror but was shocked.

He felt like his normal self but he looked physically to others as a nine year old. "W-What's going on? Why am I… my ten year old self again? I'm nearly thirty years old. Maybe this was cast on me as a spell." He told himself.

But Fiona wasn't exactly herself either…

She had became her eight year old self again but was still a full time ogress. Snow and the other princesses were worried. How could this have happened? "I'm not sure how this happened. How am I gonna tell Shrek this. He'd not understand or freak out." Fiona told them sadly.

"Don't worry. He'll love you as you are. You may look like a kid but inside you're still the woman he loves. It could've happened to him. I need to go home to the swamp just to check up on him." Fiona thought but Snow stopped her. "Uh Fiona? I... don't think... going out there's a good idea. Others might see you and not understand. We'll go check for you just in case." Doris said gently.

"You will? Thank you!" Fiona replied replied softly.

Snow was worried by this. She had something secret she hid from her other friends that she was crushing on Fiona so the spell cast on Fiona filled her heart with dread. What if the spell couldn't be broken? Charming watched as things unfolded with a smile as Donkey and Puss stood outside the swamp house door...


	2. Himself Fading Away Slowly Inside

A Change In Me 

Ch 2

Puss was worried as he and Donkey entered the swamp house. Their friend wasn't there and some strange ogre kid was in there. They didn't realise who the kid was. Shrek was nervous at this. "_Oh great!_

_They'll not believe me if I tell them what happened. But I should try." _He thought. He was wearing the old brown alligator track suit he used to wear when he was ten years old and skinny with spiked up brown hair.

He growled when he saw Donkey on his alligator chair. "DONKEY!" he yelled. Puss was startled. How did this… kid know them?

He then realised as he looked into the ten year old's eyes.

"Boss? Is that you? But how are you… a child?" the feline asked confused. "I don't know. I woke up this morning and I was like this. I think somebody cursed me. Only I'm… worried for Fiona. I've a feeling the same thing happened to her. We've got to go to Far, Far Away to check on her! I need you and Donkey to help me only Donkey won't believe me." Shrek explained. As a ten year old, his voice seemed gentle when he talked.

Donkey was startled when he looked into the kid's eyes and saw his best friend in them. They then explained it to him. They then set out. Snow and the others arrived at the swamp but didn't find Shrek anywhere. "He must be cursed too. He must have been turned into a kid like Fiona!" Doris said.

The others agreed…

Charming cackled as he sent hunters into the forest to capture Shrek. "Soon you'll be mine and this'll end sooner than we both thought!" he told himself.

Later that night Shrek, Puss and Donkey had made camp for the night. Only Shrek was yawning sitting by the fire and had to lie down because he was tired. Puss smiled at that as he nuzzled him gently. "Good night senor." he whispered. He saw Donkey looking at their sleeping friend. He was thinking something. "Aww! He's cute when he's sleeping. I like him way better as this than he normally is. Let's keep him this way!" he said.

Puss was shocked by the idea.

"No that's bad! This is probably very tramuatic for him and having him stuck like this would hurt him. He may look like a kid but inside he's our friend. Besides if he stays like this and we change him back, it'll be harder for him to adjust to being thirty again. Did you think about that? What about Fiona and the others? It would be harder for them to adjust to this. It's best we don't stay attached to his ten year old form because it would be hard for us when he has to.. to go back to an adult." Puss ranted.

They then were stopped in the middle of their talk by Shrek talking worriedly in his sleep. "No! Don't kill them!" he yelled as tears fell from his eyes as he woke up in a sweat. Puss and Donkey were worried by this. They'd never seen him cry openly before.

"It's okay. It was probably just a bad dream." Donkey heard Puss say to the ogre. "Was it bad?" Donkey asked him softly.

The ogre boy nodded sadly, looking away from them.

"It's more of a memory than a bad dream. I used to have a family and we loved and cared for one another until that night. The hunter beasts came. Mom hid me so they couldn't find me but I watched as they were taken away by them... carrying their bodies with them like trophies." Shrek explained wuping away the tears. Puss and Donkey ertr shocked hearing that. This was maybe the reason why their friend was so angry most of the time.

"It's my fault. I... could've stopped them but I was too afraid. I wish I could have been brave enough to save them, then my family would be together." Shrek mumbled as he fell asleep again.

Fiona couldn't sleep. She was worried about Shrek and the others. Her babies were gurgling but crying. They didn't understand what had happened to Mommy that made her a kid. "Don't worry. It'll be alright. I'm sure Daddy's going to fix this." she reassured them.

They stop[ed crying at the sound of her voice.

Donkey was nervous as he and Puss saw Capyain Hook along with some hunters around. "What about the cat and donkey?" one of the hunters asked him. "Forget about them! Charming said to bring him the little ogre brat." Hook growled angrily but Puss then stood in front of Shrek making a protective shield against Hook. "You're not getting your hook on this nino!" he growled as he took out the hunters but one of them crept up behind Shrek. He was nervous as he ran from him as Puss kicked the hunter's butt by using sword moves.

Hook and the hunters took off like speeding bullets at the sound of Dragon roaring. "W-What's that?" Shrek asked nervously. "It's just Dragon, my wife. Remember?" Donkey told the kid. "I don't remember that. Don't let it gyer me!" Shrek replied afraid hiding.

Puss was scared himself. Something wasn't right.

"Donkey I think I know why he doesn't remember. His body is that of a kid but he's his adult self within, right? His mind and inner self are slowly beginning to become that of a ten year old ogre's. We've got to get him back or we might lose him." Puss told him as they watched their ogre friend clutch his head...


	3. Worry of Failure

A Change In Me 

Ch 3

Puss noticed their ogre friend was getting weak as they walked through the forest. Shrek was having terrible head aches.

"Charming I'm here now, you got what you wanted.

_I… Love you._

_Who could love a beast so hideous and ugly?" _the ogre boy heard as he gritted his teeth as his head ached in agony.

"Why do they keep talking in my head?" he asked through tears.

Suddenly as they came into a forest of snow, Shrek fainted. "Oh no! This is bad!" Puss said as somebody landed beside them.

It looked like a yeti in white armour wearing a ninja head band with an icicle on it. He had green eyes and looked slender. He also wore a black ninja style wrap around him. "Who're you?" Puss growled angrily.

"Relax. I'm Snowgre." The ninja replied.

Puss watched as Snowgre took off his huge black scarf and wrapped it around Shrek. "He isn't well. We've got to get him to my cave. There he'll be safe. You're his friends right?" he told them as he picked Shrek up gently and walked on with them.

Donkey and Puss wondered why this guy was helping them. If they only knew…

Snow watched as Merlin appeared. He'd seen what Charming had done to both Shrek and Fiona. He wanted to do something about it.

"Can you help her?" Snow asked him. "Yes but why would it matter to you? You're always at their throats." Merlin replied as he cracked his knuckles. He then recited a spell. Magic surrounded Fiona as she returned to her normal age.

"Yes! You did it! Thank you!" Doris and the others said happily. "Wait! What about Shrek? Surely you can do the same, right?" Fiona asked him.

There was a grim look on his face.

"I think we could be too late. The engulfing process has begun where his adult self will begin to fade until… the ten year old is left. It'll mean he'll never grow up." Merlin explained sadly.

Fiona felt tears well up in her eyes but wouldn't let them fall. Snow knew how hard it was for her trying to be strong in a situation that seemed hopeless. Deep within himself, Shrek's ten year old self was with his adult self but was worried as his hand went transparent.

"_W-What's going on? Don't leave me!" _the boy said worried.

"_Don't worry. Our friends are trying to help even Snowgre." _His adult self told him. Shrek pouted at that. His adult self laughed at that.

"_I know he's a pain in the butt but he's ohana. Ohana means family. A family never leaves anyone behind even if they're hurting or in trouble. I want you to promise me something. If we can't fix this, I want you to look after Fiona and the kids for me. They're all I left in the world now._

_Do you promise?" _his adult self told him.

"_Yes I do. I'll take care of all your family." _He told him as he heard Snowgre's voice calling him and he floated up into the bright light…

Donkey and Puss watched as Shrek's eyes opened. "Welcome back. You had us scared there for a while. Remember me?" Snowgre said kneeling by his side. The ten year old looked at his ninja headband. "Snowgre, you became a ninja didn't you?" he replied.

"Yep. The best in the Forest of Snow. I… missed you. I know the others and I… left you behind but I didn't mean for it. I've been doing fine with some help from two old friends of ours." He told Shrek.

The ogre boy nodded as he coughed slightly.

"He has ogre flu, doesn't he?" a voice said. Puss smiled. It was Leah. She'd became Queen of Far, Far Away after marrying Artie. "It's great to see you guys again. I heard what happened to Shrek and Fiona from Artie. I want to help. Another friend of mine is in danger. Charming has her in his dungeon.

I'm worried, okay? I never should've left her alone." She told them as Snowgre hugged her. Shrek smiled at her. He remembered some of the things and friends he has as his normal self because Snowgre had put a seal in him that would freeze the course of the spell so his adult self was still safe until they could get him back to normal. An image of a girl with short black and red hair, slender with red and black glasses flash in his mind. "She's in danger isn't she? We have to go save Carley!" he told them coughing and sneezing slightly.

He pulled up a sleeve and saw something. It was a Kanji od friendship. His friends had the same mark on their arm except for Carley.

Hers was within her. "I've gotta help! She's like me." he replied. Leah understood but was nervous. "This must be a trap to lure him to Charming. We'd better be careful. Leah, Snowgre stay with Shrek. I'm going to find her. If I don't come back, come get me." Puss told them as he set off..

Charming cackled as he watched this. "This is perfect! Everything is falling into place!" he cackled as the human girl felt him touch her face, She then slapped him using her chains along with her symbol cane. He growled at that... Nothing would stand in his way... The human teen's eyes glowed with magic. Something odd was happening.

"I know your little family secret. You're scared aren't you? You think your so called friends will love you when they see your true form? I don't think so. They'll just run away like before." he told her cackling in her misery...


	4. Giving Up Herself to Break the Spell

A Change In Me 

Ch 4

Snowgre knew Leah was nervous. Puss hadn't came back. "Don't worry. I'm sure she's fine." He reassured her.

"I hope you're right. Who knows… what Charming could be doing to her." Leah told him.

Charming cackled as he watched Leah's friend. She was beginning to change from her normal self. "_Good. When she's her true self, I can make her hurt those she calls her friends." _He thought as he watched her try to break free of her chains.

"There's no point in that. Just give up. Besides soon you'll be your more out of control self." He sneered at the twenty year old.

"It won't happen Charming. I have better control over her than years ago. I'm not giving up! I… found Leah. We never gave up and good things happened. My friends are coming!" Carley yelled as the guards put her in the dungeon. Puss was in the same cell.

He knew she was no ordinary kid. "Can I ask you something? Your father's not human is he? It's okay. I know. " he replied in his Spanish accent.

There was fear as she froze up.

"My father isn't human, not at all. He's the Lord of Ogres Uzimas. Years ago he fell in love with my Mom. He didn't want to scare her as himself so he used his shape bending magic to become mortal.

They got married and had me a few years later. My Mom found out the truth about him and was scared when I was born like him." She explained to him.

"What does Charming want from you that he's kept you alive?" Puss asked her. "He wants me to be my ogre self and hurt my friends but I won't do it!" she answered as she broke the chains.

Her eyes then closed as everything went black…

Leah had snuck out of Snowgre's place and had made it to Charming's lair. She kicked down the door to the dungeons and ran inside.

Puss smiled as she used her strength to bend the bars. "How is she?" she asked softly. "She'll be okay. She broke free of the chains." He told her. Leah saw her friends ears go pointy and turn violet.

"_That's odd. That's never happened to her before. Maybe Snowgre can help when we get back." _She thought as they went back to the cave.

Fiona was nervous as she along with Snow and Doris entered the Forest of Snow. She heard roaring. Leah then saw them and ran over to them.

"What're you doing out here?" Snow asked. "We're getting Carley back to Snowgre's place. She was kidnapped by Charming." Leah told them as they followed them. Snowgre was very mad but watched as Shrek was standing guard over Leah's friend.

"Why did you save Shrek when he got sick when we entered the forest?" Donkey asked the sixteen year old.

Snowgre sighed before going on. "I'm his cousin. I know we look different but trust me, we're family. I like your human friend Leah. She... loks so sad, like so much hurt has been caused to her." he answered as Carley softly moaned as she came around. "You're awake! We were so worried about you!" Shrek said gently hugging her.

She smiled sadly at him. "Thanks, that's good to know but Leah should've just left me in the dungeon." she replied. Snowgre gasped as he looked into her blue eyes. "What's wrong? Why did she say that?" Leah heard Fiona ask scared.

"She's the Lord of Ogre's daughter. She is one of us but with special needs. She can transform into her true form but can't control herself." Snowgre told them as he sat beside Carley. "Don't worry. I know you won't hurt us." Leah told her.

"Forget about me. We need to help Shrek before the spell takes over and he's left as a ten year old forever." Carley replied to them sadly.

"It's okay. Snowgre slowed down the spell by placing a seal in me." Shrek replied but clutched his head as he felt another head ache.

"Oh no! The seal has broken. We've gotta fix this before we lose him!" Snowgre said worriedly.

Charming cackled. Shrek's adult self was fading faster now that the seal had broken. "Soon this'll end with me ruling the kingdom!" he yelled victoriously. Another figure joined him. It was the Lord of Ogres.

"Yes. My daughter can't conceal her true self forever. That's when the fun begins!" he replied. Inside Shrek 's adult self felt like he was vanishing. "What can I do?" his ten year old self asked him in his dream afraid.

"You... must go to Charming fast. When the spell's reversed, I'll be fine. But if it doesn't, then I know those I love are in good hands." his adult self answered. Leah saw him wake up startled. Fiona was more freaked about this.

"I need to go find Charming now!" he told her running off. Artie was in Charming's lair. He then saw Charming shoot a blast of magic ar him.

It surrounded him making him young... back to a thirteen year old. "You'd better be lucky. I'll let you go but soon you and your ogre friend are dead!" Charming yelled. Artie was scared as he ran into Snowgre's cave.

"Artie you okay?" Leah asked him softly. "Just don't be scared when I show you okay?" he told her as he came out. Shrek, Puss, Donkey and Leah were shocked to see this.

"Charming used magic and made me thirteen years again. Just like with Shrek." Artie replied nervous.

Leah then heard soft growling as Carley opened her eyes. She was in her full ogre form. She had violet skin, pointed ears, tiny fangs and slender. "A-Are you going to run away like everyone else does?" she said nervously.

"No we're not. You may look like an ogre on the outside but inside you're my best friend and a part of our family. Never forget that." Leah answered as she touched her and hugged. Shrek and the others joined in.

"Thanks guys. You're the best!" Carley replied as they broke the embrace.

Happiness shone in her eyes. Nobody had ever said that to her before. "Let's go stop Charming now! That way we can help Shrek and Artie. We can do this. I know we can!" she told them.

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Leah asked her. "Yes I do. Out friends need our help. Friends don't abandon each other or run away, right?" Carley replied smiling showing her fangs.

"Let's go!" Shrek said as he, Snowgre and the others followed them. Charming smiled as he saw them approach his castle.

Uzimas smiled as he saw his daughter use her Ogreix to help her friends get in. "It's nearly time!" he yelled. Snowgre watched as Artie led them into the throne room. Charming and Uzimas were hiding in the shadows as Artie found something.

"They're Ogreix runes. I think Charming used them to cast the spell. I can use them to reverse the spell but it'll take some time. Go stop Charming." Carley told them.

Shrek stayed with her but then heard something and saw her shiver as Uzimas appeared. "Hello daughter. You've brought the good hearted ogre loser to me to be destroyed!" he cackled as he grabbed Shrek by the throat but it wasn't him...

Shrek heard sounds of struggle as Leah and Snowgre along with Artie were fighting Charming. He put the runes on the floor. "I can figure this out. It doesn't look too hard." he thought as he watched his friend fight. He heard Uzimas roar in pain as his friend bit him in the chest and he fell to the floor. Carley then summoned her strength.

Suddenly the runes glowed but as they surrounded Shrek, Uzimas lunged at him but Carley stopped him. Magic surrounded her too. Shrek was nervous as it faded. She was lying on the floor out cold. "Are you okay?" he asked with tears in his eyes as she opened her eyes. She had been changed by the magic. She was thirteen years old again but still was slender and herself within. "Aren't you mad? You'll never vw an adult again." Shrek said helping her up and gave her the symbol cane. She was still half blind and couldn't see in the dark or see sides and still had a little hump on her back.

"It's worth it. Don't you remember? I was thirteen when we first became friends. It was worth it to save you." she replied as they hugged.

But he was now sixteen years old... "I'm sorry. If I hadn't jumped to save you, you would be your normal self again." Carley told him sadly.

"The runes say the spell has been reversed when somebody you care about uses Love to save them. You did help me. I'll be my adult self soon. At least I'll get to relive puberty again. But I'm more worried about you." he replied chuckling. "I'm okay. I'm still my twenty year old self but stuck in a teenage body." she told him as they walked out of there holding hands.

Artie was sixteen again too. Leah smiled at that. He was cute at that age. "I think Shrek fixed it!" he said as they kissed.

"Yes but it was Carley. She gave herself to save us. We'll be our proper selves soon once we get to that age." Shrek answered as Carley fainted. Leah was worried. Snowgre then saw something appear out of her. It was her kanji mark.

Magic surrounded her as she became her twenty year old self again.

"How come it won't do it for us?" Artie pouted. Shrek heard Leah laugh at that. "It's because she gave some of her love to break the spell but it'll take a while for you guys to age." Snowgre explained.

Teenagers especially his cousin gave him a head ache...

He hoped they would age quickly...


End file.
